Focus: Matthew 6:3-4 - KJV
3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:6-18
The Lord Jesus Christ is the example that God points us to as the one to emulate in all things, so that we may be acceptable to God. The reason Jesus told many recipients of His healing virtues and miracles to tell no one, was so that His fame is not sung over things that are immaterial. For those He sent to broadcast it, they were to tell their people what God had done for them. He deliberately took the focus away from Himself, that God may be glorified. This we are also called to do in our giving, doings and whatever. Jesus was a prayerful person; He however was known to withdraw Himself to pray and not do so in public for all to hear or praise Him for being prayerful. He didn’t even speak in tongues except perhaps while on the cross and what He said was understandable to many.
The beauty of being discreet in these things is that God, who only should be glorified for our good deeds, rewards all our secret deeds in the open. For instance, Christ’s prayer for raising Lazarus from the dead was said in secret. The thanksgiving that preceded the actual raising was that observers may believe He’s from God. Eventually, that which He did in secret was rewarded openly. When Abraham was to give his only son whom he loved, he took him away privately. God rewarded this openly by preserving the life of Isaac, and subsequently giving the world Jesus through the discreet sacrifice of Abraham. The young man that gave the lunch that fed five thousand did so discreetly and that was why he was not named. In the end, his reward came openly with twelve baskets to take home.
Solomon’s thousand burnt offering could not be more discreet than he did it for he did not gather the whole of Israel to see what he did. In the end, God rewarded him openly that his fame went abroad. There is a great reward for every act of love that we offer discreetly: love to God in praying discreetly in our closets; and love to our neighbors in giving unto the needy, otherwise dubbed our neighbors, without doing it for personal public gains. Those who give alms for all to see have their rewards already, and may thereby forfeit the one that is to come from God, here on earth and even eternally. Let us therefore, endeavor to be discreet in our giving, that God may reward us Himself, in the open.
SOLUTION: Stop standing on the top of the hill to announce your supposed good deeds. It may turn sour in the mouth of the recipient, if you do. Rather, let your doings be between you and God alone, who is the righteous rewarder.
Please pray thus: Father, please honor my alms and prayers discreetly offered from today, in Jesus’ name. And those that I had done in the past, do honor them also by your mercy, in Jesus’ name.
Kindly share with others if you have been blessed by this Guide. God bless you as you do so, in Jesus' name.
Comments